A review by jennaniho
The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera

challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

 
Though I would’ve loved to read this book, I think I enjoyed it more as an audiobook edition. The narrator, Frankie Corzo, made the book even more interesting and palpable. My imagination truly took flight when I saw things from Petra’s point of view with Corzo's talent for portraying the emotions that Petra was feeling throughout the story.

This book is beautiful. A sort of love letter to the first storytellers of our lives: our elders. It is rich with cultural lore, diversity, and history. I loved how Petra was incredibly brave and refused to back down or allow others to set the course of her life. I loved the relationship that Petra has with her abuelita (grandmother), her brother Javier, and Ben. I also loved how the story is told between the dream world and the world that Petra is living in. As if saying that both worlds are not so different and they coexist within us constantly; which is something that many Indigenous communities believe. 

My only critique of the book is how vague the leader of the Collective was. That may be the point of their existence in this story, but I was interested in finding out the reason behind many of her actions, especially toward one of the characters. She kept human emotions of resentment a lot. Likewise, the ending of this story left me a bit confused. It felt as if the author was rushing to finish the book, but getting there was anxiously slow. I would’ve wanted to know what happened after the group realized they were not alone.
 
Nevertheless, through Petra, we can imagine a world without stories and how deeply important they are. This book questions what makes us human and how we can correct our flaws. Though the audience for this story is geared toward teenagers, I think older folks might enjoy it, too. It reconnects you with your inner child and makes you realize that stories truly make us who we are.
 
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